Things to Know About Interior Design

Make your space personal

Any space either in your home, or any personal space should reflect you as a person. 
When a guest or family member walks into the area, the style and character of the space should remind them of you. By adding accessories and interests that are yours as a homeowner, the area should reveal your style and design clearly. Form is achieved by displaying your likes of design, personal hobbies, and memory design. Memory designs are what you as an individual grew up with as a child and carried on with you as you became an adult. The most important decision is not to follow what is currently available in stores and trends that are most popular at the time. Design is often dictated by trends or something that is in demand from a familiar experience. As an example, when the movie came out 10 years ago about Dalmatians, of course there was a run on Dalmatian puppies. As the dogs grew, so did the reality of maintaining the breed of dogs healthy, happy, and behavior free. The breed was saturated in this country. That is how the trend is set without any considerations to the repercussions of a poorly thought out plan.

In design, the same goes for that beautiful piece of art that was in the latest hit movie. One should ask, "Is that  me? Alternately, look for art that compliments you, your style of wardrobe or your current decoration. Surprisingly, decorating in your home is not extremely different from picking an outfit to wear. A good exercise is to look in your closet. Determine what colors are you drawn to? Do you prefer modern or traditional? Clean or curvy lines? By using your preference in clothing as a guide in a style for your home, this will guarantee a space that is you.

Your surroundings should be your focus

Determining your limitations in design can be your best defense against failure. Understand your limits in size, proportion, and scale of the room. Plus, one should consider his or her environment and adapt to it. Whether in the country or city, taking a cue from your surroundings will help. Look at the context of your space and base your choices on this streamlined path.

Style: Informal or Formal?

Determining your comfort zone can be half the battle. Never purchase an impulse buy when shopping for furniture. Do not purchase the look without determining comfort. A good rule of thumb is a vertical or formal design is long, narrow, and stiff. A horizontal or informal design is wide and short or low. This furniture creates a more comfortable piece to sit or lay on. I am guilty of impulse buying, but I am getting better as I step back and determine what I am looking for in a piece of furniture. I have learned this important lesson. Nevertheless, I need to remind myself every time I go shopping for my home or  a client. When the thought of home means cozy, and I want my furniture to reflect that thought, I make sure that the comfort level is there. If one asks for a formal design, I must look at furniture differently as it is not my idea of comfort, but theirs. The toughest thing is going to a friend's home and sitting on an uncooperative chair where your balance is taxed by the lack of comfort you are accustomed too. One needs to adapt to other homes and the style for which the homeowner is used to in their space. A good rule is a home should be inviting and comfortable no matter what style one chooses. 

Stay Classic

Good design transcends time means a classic design that was or is used in the past, present, and future. Staying classic in design can incorporate style and design that will last much longer than the fads and trends of today. This method gives the designer the liberty to render them as one's design style evolves. I like to use classic furnishings with traditional prints. The fabric provides the homeowner or myself with a solid foundation to build on. This design can blend with trendy or personalized accessories or finishes, as long as the dominant design is classic. In design, it is thrilling to find a gorgeous antique dining table, buffet, or a traditional armchair. As a designer, it is disheartening to find furnishings where the shape, angle, and line of the piece are lovely, but the finish or fabric is wrong. In this circumstance though, I say: Score! With plenty of methods to alter or transform an older, classically shaped piece of furniture, it is easier to do than to find the perfect piece without any alteration. If it is a sofa, re-pad the seats and reupholster the piece, add new throw pillows, and re-stain or polish the feet. If it is an aged dresser, paint it, highlight the trim or accent the embellishments! The options are boundless when it comes to updating a classic or timeless piece. 

More with less

Everything used should be simple and fit comfortably in the space. Never overcrowd the room or space, as it looks overdone or cluttered. If you look around each room, determine what should stay and what should go. This process makes the room appear larger, and tidier as the area will take on the style as your own. If later one believes he or she needs more, additions can always be added gradually to enhance the style or design. Just remember, too much can become clutter, so more thought is less headache. Always access the space before buying and stay away from matching items and coordinating pieces. This act will enhance your  style and show character in your design.